I have received a lot of response regarding my post on my blog, "Goodbye Seems to be the Hardest Word". Much of it was touching and insightful.
"Frankly Opinionated" writes:
You
"love" them so much you hate to see the end of it. Same here once. You
"love" a good piece of cake don't you? I do. Will the cake be forever?
Should you not someone who can't be forever? We would be some empty
hearted people if that were so. I have convinced myself that, no matter
how much I love knowing, seeing this person, or that group, that at the
next stop, I will meet someone just as special, just as great and
loveable. When a relationship,(of whatever depth), ends, I relish the
memories of the good spots, and totally phase out those less than good.
Perhaps, with the "goodbye" could be a bit of "I've really loved this
time in my life, it has been very special." And then silently tell
yourself that it is time to see this next event.
And he has a very valid point.
When
MacGyver enlisted, I was completely ignorant when it came to what to
expect from military life. I had grown up living in the same town all
my life, in the same house, had the same friends. I had no clue how
hard it was to move every 2-3 years or how hard it was to say goodbye
to people because I had never had to before. Not really.
While
we were stationed in Alaska, we were blessed to become friends with a
family in our unit who lived just a few doors down from us. They became
like family and having to leave them was one of my first tastes of the
downsides of military life. But the sweetness of having known them was
SOOOOOO incredibly worth it. They remain, to this day, some of our
dearest friends.
Our next stop was Alabama. Mentally, I
was prepared NOT to make many friends there since it was "just flight
school" and "just for a year or so". Yeah, that didn't happen. My
brother-in-law had been there before us and pointed us in the direction
of the church he had attended while he was there. From day one, they
treated us like family and I've yet to be able to shake them! Again,
saying goodbye to them was painful but completely outweighed by the joy
of knowing them.
Our limited time at Fort Campbell brought
us similar blessings and we are hopeful that we will be able to get
back there soon and literally pick up where we left off with our
friends there.
And then there is Hawaii. As much as I am
looking forward to returning to the mainland, I know that when we leave
it will hurt just as bad as leaving Alaska, or Alabama, or California,
or Fort Campbell, or Colorado. Because, yet again, we have been blessed
with incredible friends during our time here. People I consider to be
family in many, many ways. People who empathize with the joys and
sorrows that are intrinsic to military life. People that I am truly
grateful to know - even if just for a limited time.
So,
like F.O. mentioned above, I am positive that where ever we wind up
next - be it Fort Campbell or where ever we will be blessed with
wonderful friends. Friends that we love like family. THAT is one of the
biggest upsides to military life. One for which I am truly grateful.
Thanks for the reminder, F.O.
